Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
New Zealand-bred seven-year-old Diego is in the best form of his career, and although the gelding’s five most recent wins have been over 2130m (four times) and 1730m (once), champion trainer Gary Hall Snr declares that he will be suited over the marathon trip of 2936m in the $450,000 TABtouch WA Pacing Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
Diego has won only once from 13 starts over 2536m at Gloucester Park, but he did win the 2692m Pinjarra Cup last March, and to prove Hall’s point Diego finished solidly along the inside from the rear to be eighth in the 2936m Pacing Cup last February when he was only one and a half lengths behind the winner Wildwest.
Diego was an $81 outsider in last year’s Pacing Cup when he started from the outside (barrier nine), but he is the early favourite at $3 for Friday night’s big race after drawing the prized No. 1 barrier.
He also started from the No. 1 barrier in the 2536m Fremantle Cup last Friday week when he set the pace and was inclined to over-race before wilting slightly in the final stages to finish third behind Mighty Ronaldo and Minstrel.
“Prior to the Fremantle Cup I would’ve said that Diego was a certainty in the Pacing Cup if he drew barrier one,” said Hall. “It was unlike Diego to stop in the Fremantle Cup. Maddy (driver Maddison Brown) said that Diego pulled really hard because she had to hit him on the backside to get to the front.
“This week he will come out quick from barrier one, and he should lead and be very hard to beat. The distance (2936m) won’t worry him.
“I remember in a race early in September that Lavra Joe declared him on, and they went hammer and tong the whole way. Diego (from barrier one) led and won by a head from Jumpingjackmac with Lavra Joe tailing out to finish last.”
A win by Diego would give Hall a remarkable record of his thirteenth success in the Fremantle Cup — following wins with The Falcon Strike (2002, 2004 and 2005), Tealsby Karita (2007), Im Themightyquinn (2011-12-13), Hokonui Ben (2014), My Hard Copy (2015 and 2016), Chicago Bull (2017) and Wildwest (2022).
Gary Hall Jnr will be aiming for his ninth Fremantle Cup victory. He will replace Maddison Brown as Diego’s driver, with Brown unable to drive this week after being concussed in a race fall last Friday night.
Brown has driven Diego at his past 21 starts for seven wins and seven placings, and Hall also has a fine record, having driven Diego 16 times for eight wins, two seconds and two thirds.
Magnificent Storm, a brilliant winner at 27 of his 40 starts, will start from the No. 4 barrier, leaving Aldo Cortopassi the option of restraining the gelding at the start or using his excellent gate speed in a bid for the lead.
Magnificent Storm drew out wide at barrier eight in the Fremantle Cup, met with a slight check in the first lap and raced in tenth position. He was eleventh at the bell when he followed Jumpingjackmac’s three-wide run, but did not threaten danger and finished eighth.
A week earlier Magnificent Storm began from barrier nine in the Stratton Cup and, was restrained to the rear before Cortopassi sent him forward with a three-wide burst at the 1200m to move into the breeze. He gave ground in the final stages to finish eighth.
Trainer Ray Williams was relieved when Magnificent Storm drew barrier four, saying: “We haven’t had good draws in the big races, but this draw is okay. We will see what happens at the start. He is the sort of horse if you want to go forward, you can, and if he doesn’t get to the front it wouldn’t matter.
“He is a horse who can face the breeze. This race gives him the chance to show what he really is, and what we all thought what he was. Since his latest starts we’ve found a couple of little things that I’ve worked on, and, hopefully, that will give him that little couple of per cent. The long distance will suit him, and will probably suit a few of the others.
“He is a one hundred per cent better horse than he was in the Cup 12 months ago when he had feet problems, but not bad enough to keep him out of the race. He is a lot fitter horse now and is more mature. Last year it was probably a bit early for him.”